AOC
OREGON TRAILS
Resilient Oregon Counties - Prepare, Recover, Resolve. 
June 12-14, 2016 | Umatilla County - Pendleton, Oregon | REGISTER

Join AOC President Larry Givens for the Spring Summit in Umatilla County June 12-14 at the Pendleton Red Lion. Registration is $250 and hotel rooms start at $89 per night. 


As always, we will have a great lineup of speakers, there will be valuable tools and information to take back to your county, and great networking opportunities for all to enjoy. 

We look forward to seeing you in Pendleton!
Policy Updates
AOC Policy Team Stays Active

At the moment we are buttoning up the 2016 Legislative Summary, which will be a very useful recap of the 2016 legislative session.
We are also preparing information that you can use at home to educate your legislative candidates about Oregon... read more 
Feedback Needed on AOC Housing Subcommittee Survey

The Housing Subcommittee would greatly appreciate your participation in a survey regarding housing issues in an attempt to get a clearer picture of what is happening regarding housing in our counties statewide... read more
Oregon EQC Wants Your Input

As part of its three-step recruitment process, the  Oregon Environmental Quality Commission is soliciting input on the requirements and criteria that will be posted as part of the recruitment for DEQ's permanent director... read more
Governance 2016 Legislative Report Available

AOC Legal Counsel Rob Bovett has generated a final report on the status of 2016 Oregon legislation tracked by the AOC Governance Committee. It is posted in the Resources section of the Governance Committee web page... read more

Court Facilities Task Force Adopts 2017-19 Priorities

Commissioner George Murdock and Commissioner Earl Fisher chaired the AOC Court Facilities Task Force over the past several months, which has been meeting to prioritize courthouse improvement projects and replacement needs. The task force finalized its list Monday and recommendations... read more
Criminal Justice Commission Announces Regional Meetings
 
House Bill 3194 from the 2013 legislative session - the Justice Reinvestment Act - created regional implementation councils (RICs) for groups of local counties to collaborate on public safety issues relating to justice reinvestment programs. The RICs have been meeting around the state over the past two years to discuss reentry and recidivism reduction programs, along...  read more
County Rep Needed for Distracted Driving Task Force

The Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon State Police, AAA, and other partners are founding the Oregon Distracted Driving Task Force, and they want a county commissioner to represent the local government perspective on this important confluence of health, public safety, and transportation... read more
Marijuana Resources Online

AOC Legal Counsel Rob Bovett has created a new web page for new and updated AOC publications relating to marijuana. Of particular note is "2016 Oregon Marijuana Laws." Counsel Bovett created that publication for use by AOC members... read more
News
NOAA Fisheries Releases BiOp on National Floodplain Insurance Program

Thursday the  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries  delivered their final biological opinion (BiOp) on the National Floodplain Insurance Program... read more
Grants Available for Local Transportation and Land Use Planning

Grants ranging from $75,000 to $200,000 are available to local governments for transportation and land use planning work that boosts walking, biking and transit use... read more
Transportation Grant Management Grant Application Materials Available

The 2016 TGM grant application materials are now available on the TGM  website, along with example applications from previous cycles and other resources... read more
Report Shows Clackamas County has 'Broadly Positive' Economic Impacts

An unbiased, third-party report definitively shows that the Oregon City economy is significantly and positively affected by being the Clackamas County seat...  read more
Apply Now! Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program Grants

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is seeking applications for funding for the Justice and Mental...  read more
Ranchers Express Concern About Owyhee Canyonlands

About 300 concerned ranchers, residents and county officials piled into the Jordan Valley high school gymnasium over the weekend to participate in a town hall held by... read more
Federal Sage Grouse Lawsuits Popping Up Around the West

Oregon is watching filings in federal courts of lawsuits challenging the Records of Decision of land use plans by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service... read more
Wyden, Blumenthal, Bipartisan Senators Urge VA to Extend Presumption of Agent Orange Exposure to More Veterans Who Served in Korean DMZ

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., led a bipartisan group of five senators in urging the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to extend... read more
BLM Sets Meeting of National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board

The Bureau of Land Management's National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will meet on April 13-14 in Redmond, Oregon, to discuss issues relating to the... read more
Commissioner Cameron Keynotes Oregon Green Schools Summit

Marion County Commissioner Kevin Cameron provided the keynote address at the 20th annual meeting of certified Oregon Green Schools (OGS) on April 1, 2016 in Salem... read more
Historically Low Interest Rates for Community Facility, Water System, and Waste Disposal Loans
Is your rural community ready to move forward with an infrastructure upgrade or construction project? USDA Rural Development provides long-term, low-interest loans... read more
For a complete list of news and information visit oregoncounties.org
Events
5th Annual Oregon Coast Economic Summit
August 8-9, 2016 | North Bend, Oregon | SAVE-THE-DATE

The Oregon Legislative Coastal Caucus will host over 450 leaders from around the state at the 5th Oregon Coast Economic Summit.
Webinar: An interactive Virtual Discussion on Reducing Racial and Ethic Disparities (RED) in County Justice Systems
April 22, 2016 | 2:00 p.m. (EST) | REGISTER

J oin NACo for the second of a two-part series on Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in County Justice Systems. Racial and ethnic disparity (RED) refers to the unequal treatment... read more
Workshop: Non-Lethal Predation Management 
May 13, 2016 | Pendleton, OR | REGISTER

On May 13th, a workshop on integrating non-lethal predation management tools and methods with a focus on wolf predation management will be held in Pendleton, OR at the Blue Mountain Community College. This workshop is being... read more
Juvenile Diversion Certificate Program
August 2-5, 2016 | Washington, D.C. |  REGISTER

The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University's Juvenile Diversion Certificate Program, being held Aug. 2-5 in Washington, D.C., brings together law enforcement officers, probation staff, prosecutors, school officials, judges... read more
For a complete list of events visit oregoncounties.org
NACo News
Livestream of National Stepping Up Summit
April 17-19, 2016 | Washington, D.C. | WATCH LIVE

The National Association of Counties (NACo) and its partners at the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation will be hosting the National Summit on Reducing the... read more
Early Bird Registration Ends Soon for WIR Conference
May 25-27, 2016 | Teton County |  REGISTER

Don't miss this great opportunity to network with peers, learn in educational workshops and committee meetings, and learn about Teton County through educational mobile tours. 

Keeping Counties Moving: Freight Transportation as an Economic Engine | DOWNLOAD

County investments in maritime and inland ports, rail and multimodal facilities, and crucial connector networks enable cargo to be moved throughout the nation and across the...  read more
Register Now for the 2016 NACo Annual Conference
July 22 - 25, 2016 | Long Beach, CA | REGISTER

Are you ready for Lights, Leadership, Action in Long Beach, Los Angeles County? Register for the 2016 NACo Annual Conference & Exhibition, and network with county officials.
For more information on NACo news visit naco.org
Partner Spotlight
Supplemental Retirement Program for County Employees

In partnership with AOC, Nationwide Retirement Solutions provides county's with the option to offer employees a Section 457 Deferred Compensation Program to supplement their retirement income savings. Learn more about how this program benefits your employees... read more
The Last Word
Q: What does a worm do in a corn field? A: Goes in one ear and out the other. 

We hope you like the refreshed - and mobile friendly - newsletter layout. As always, please feel free to submit your story ideas, announcements, recipes, events, photos and job changes to your  Oregon  Trails  staff for inclusion in the next riveting edition. 
 
Your  Oregon Trails staff,
 
Laura Cleland & Mckenzie Farrell
Association of  Oregon  Counties

Representing Oregon counties since 1906, the Association of Oregon Counties unites counties to advocate, communicate, and educate through information sharing and consensus development.